


Stay Close to Me

by eegghhh



Series: Tododeku Nonsense [9]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Skating, Anxiety, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Yuri!!! on Ice, M/M, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-01
Updated: 2019-03-01
Packaged: 2019-11-07 14:17:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17962154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eegghhh/pseuds/eegghhh
Summary: A retelling of Yuri!!! on Ice's 7th episode replaced with Todoroki Shouto and Midoriya IzukuOriginally posted for 365 days of Tododeku on February 18th!!





	Stay Close to Me

**Author's Note:**

> There's so many yoi aus but I had too much fun writing this anyway

Izuku rubbed his eyes and clenched his fists to keep his balance as he knees quivered. He hadn’t slept due to the anticipation of today’s competition, and his eyes glazed over staring at the ice that lay beneath him. 

A finger tapped on his shoulder, and he shuddered as he slowly turned around to see who the culprit was. 

“Are you okay?” a soft-spoken voice asked him, laced with worry. 

Izuku nodded vigorously. “I'm fine. Just…nerves you know?”

The man behind him grunted in understanding. 

Though, this man was much more than just someone asking if he was okay. 

He was Todoroki Shouto, five-time gold medalist and the only one who had the patience to coach him. They'd been working together for a few months now and before that...well Izuku was a fan to say the least. Shouto and his father were legends, and Izuku wanted nothing more than to be able to skate like them.

He wasn't a huge fan of Shouto's father...not like he was of Shouto. It was hard to escape that man though, he had a tight grip on what Shouto could and could not perform, and had been his personal coach since he was a young child. Only recently had he gained independence from the strict and tight styles that his father had insisted on. 

As Izuku wasn't a fan of his father, he also wasn't a fan of that tight, closed-in skating style that Shouto had been forced to learn and perform.

Izuku was in awe of Shouto's own flowing, free style that he was able to do after cutting away from his father’s rules when he became an adult. Watching it was like watching two skaters at once, one burning with fiery passion, and the other unsure and distant; the intricate footwork and risky jump combinations never matched that melancholy expression. 

Izuku had always aspired to be a skater like that; someone who could always surprise the audience. They never knew what new move Shouto would include in his routines, and that was what Izuku had latched onto. Shouto was mysterious, and before he’d been able to have a conversation with the man, he’d seemed intimidating. 

After months of training together, though, Izuku learned that Shouto was less than adept in social circumstances, and wasn’t all that intimidating at all. They’d been able to form a sort of trust bond between each other in the recent months. 

Ah, and just how did the famous Todoroki Shouto end up coaching Midoriya Izuku, who hadn’t even gotten bronze in the last Grand Prix event? Izuku had put out an ad on a whim, accompanied with a video. Izuku had worked hard to create a perfect imitation of one of Shouto’s gold-winning routines, and had been running on only two hours of sleep when he decided to post the video. 

He  _ may _ have tagged Shouto in the ad, and he  _ may _ have been hoping he’d get a response from him specifically. But that didn’t mean he thought it’d work. 

It worked well alright. Within two days of posting the ad, there was a knock on his door, and when Izuku opened it, he was greeted by a man two-toned hair and beautiful mismatched eyes, who had the smallest confused smile on his face. 

Shouto hadn’t sent Izuku any sort of confirmation of accepting the ad, he just  _ showed up to Izuku’s door _ . 

“Oh, hi, um...how did you know this is my house?” Izuku stammered as the one man he idolized most stood before him. 

Shouto cocked his head to the side in confusion, the red hairs mingling with the white. “The sign out front says  _ Midoriya _ on it. I assumed it was the right place? Unless you’re his doppelganger with the same name.”

Izuku squeaked. Right. His family owned an inn. It was called “Midoriya Inn,” a clearly fitting name. His mother had been interviewed here before, as an advertisement for the inn, and she’d mentioned Izuku. It was a bit odd that Shouto would know this though, it wasn’t like the word spread that fast about  _ him _ of all people. 

“Oh, well, come in.” 

The expression of wonder and confusion on Shouto’s face then was the same as it was now, at the last skate before the finals. 

“Did you sleep well last night?” Shouto asked, snapping Izuku back to the present. 

Without thinking, Izuku nodded. “Oh, yeah, I’m good.” 

Shouto’s eyebrows furrowed. “You’re lying. I can see the bags under your eyes.” He reached forward and poked at the soft flesh under Izuku’s eyes. “You should take a nap before the skate starts.”

Izuku knew he was right. But he was more determined to win the semifinals to make it into the finals than he was to get rest. Anyway his body was shaking with anticipation and anxiety. There was no way he could sleep now. 

Izuku groaned. “I’ll be fine. I just need to wake up a bit. We could go for coffee.”

“You’ll just crash once the competition starts. I know from experience.” Shouto clenched his fists and set his jaw. “I don’t want you to be overwhelmed. 

Izuku groaned louder. “Ugh, I won’t be able to sleep. I’m fine.”

Shouto grasped his shoulders. “I just want you to do well.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” Izuku turned his head away from Shouto. His eyes focused on something he couldn’t even make out. It was all a blur to him. He couldn’t focus on anything right now, really.

Shouto was right.

\---

After an hour of lying in the hotel bed without any remote sign of being able to fall asleep, Izuku got up again. During that time, Shouto had joined him, claiming to have been bored from sitting in the chair off to the side and thought a nap would do himself well also. Though there was another bed right next to Izuku’s...they’d gotten a room with two beds. 

Izuku only felt more restless from the subsequent thoughts that came with sharing a bed with not only his coach, but quite possibly the only person he’d every looked up to and also the most powerful person in the skating world at the moment. 

He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, which were now even more droopy and watery. “We should head back,” he told Shouto. 

“Alright,” Shouto agreed as he also got up and pulled his coat back on. 

\---

The shaking had gotten worse. Watching his opponents did nothing to calm his nerves. They were all so talented, not like him. He’d gotten such a late start in skating, only after finding Toshinori to show him the ropes. His mother had always supported his passion, but she couldn’t afford the lessons when he was younger. And she had to tend to the inn every day of the week. He couldn’t ask her to drive him to lessons and then later competitions. 

When he found a frozen pond near his home, he decided to put on shoes with less traction, and try sliding around for a bit. He fell a lot. It was disheartening, but after an hour of falling and getting back up, he was able to make progress moving forward and keeping his balance. 

That’s when Toshinori found him, frantically trying to make progress on his own without smooth ice or proper footwear. He offered to bring him to a rink and go over some simple things, gradually working up to the jumps that Izuku had always admired. He owed everything he knew to Toshinori, but he owed Shouto for giving him opportunity. 

Not like all these other skaters. They grew up skating, their family being a major part of their skating career, maybe even being their coach as well. Some were prodigies and didn’t even need to learn the basics, they just picked it up on their own. They had personal rinks and were able to practice every day. Izuku still had duties at the inn and wanted to support his mom as much as he could. The only rink was a twenty minute walk from his home, and it was often too cold to even do that. 

There was no way he had the skill to make it. Even with Shouto’s help, this came down to his own skill, which was pitiful at best. 

“You didn’t sleep again,” Shouto pointed out. He frowned at Izuku, shivering even though he was wearing a jacket. “We shouldn’t stay here.”

“I’m fine,” Izuku insisted. He couldn’t look at Shouto. He knew that those beautiful gray and blue eyes would be boring into him, the care and worry so strong Izuku wouldn’t be able to resist it. “I slept. I promise,” he lied, but he tried to keep his voice steady. 

Shouto hummed in disapproval. “Okay.”

Shouto stood next to him, taut as he watched the first few routines with Izuku. 

Izuku tried to calm his thoughts by doing small stretches and keeping his eyes away from the rink. But the noise of the announcer commenting on every flub and incomplete rotation heightened his panic further until he couldn’t keep up with his stretching and he just stood still, staring at a wall. 

“Izuku,” Shouto muttered behind him, hand on his shoulder. Izuku couldn’t find the voice to respond. It was like it died in his lungs. “Izuku,” Shouto said again, more forcefully.

Izuku shook his head. “I can’t,” was all he could whisper. 

“We’re going then, come on,” Shouto decided, tugging at Izuku’s arm. When Izuku’s legs stopped shaking finally, he was able to walk normally. Shouto’s arm stayed behind his back and he led him through the crowds and down to the basement of the rink. 

They came upon the parking garage, and Izuku froze. “Why are we here?”

“You need to calm down. And being up there will do you no good.” Shouto stood in front of him, holding his shoulders still. “You’re shaking. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Izuku stared at the concrete ground. He clenched his fists and tried his hardest to hold back tears. “No. Not really.” His voice shook, his throat tight. This wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair to Shouto that he had to watch him like this. It wasn’t fair that Izuku was the one he got stuck with coaching. He could have chosen anyone much calmer and focused, but he got stuck with Izuku who was still horribly self-conscious and lacked the experience of everyone else. “Why are you even here with me?”

Shouto didn’t answer. He tightened his grasp on Izuku’s shoulders. 

Then, the announcer stated the last skater’s score. It was high. There was no way that Izuku could come close to that, much less surpass it. 

He couldn’t stop the tears. 

Warm hands pressed over his ears and he looked up finally. Shouto was staring at him, lips pressed together tightly and his eyes big with worry. “Don’t listen.”

Izuku cried harder. His shoulders shook not only with the result of his panic attack, but also the tears that streamed steadily from his eyes. “I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. I don’t know how to handle this, but it isn’t your fault.” Everything Shouto said was distant, but he could understand it. “You’re sure there’s nothing I can do? I could...kiss you? Would that be better?”

Izuku sort of wished he hadn’t heard that. Not now. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He grit his teeth in frustration. 

He just shook his head and cried, “No, that’s not going to help! I just need you to stay here!” He shuddered through a sob and shook his head harder. “I just need you to stay with me, Shouto.”

“I don’t know if I can do that.”

What? Was he messing with Izuku now? “What do you mean?”

“If you don’t do well in this, that’ll reflect poorly on me. And my father. If that happens, I might as well resign as your coach.”

Izuku was sure Shouto was messing with him now. Unless Shouto really hated him and everything they’d been through in the past couple months was for nothing. That would be just like Izuku to falsely assume he was close to someone. Like how it had been with Kacchan. People were bound to ignore him in due time. 

There was nothing Izuku could think to do beyond stare at Shouto. Shouto’s face was the same blank expression as always. “You’re messing with me. Why would you say something like that?” 

Shouto didn’t confirm or deny it. 

Izuku couldn’t hold back any more tears, they released all at once until he was sure he looked like a total disgusting mess of snot and tears. Every corner of his body shook with panic, grief, and disbelief. “You...you hate...me. Don’t you?” Izuku choked out. 

“What? No, Izuku, that’s not what I meant. I don’t hate you at all.” Shouto took a hand away from Izuku and brushed his bangs in frustration. “I worded everything wrong. I don’t want you to cry anymore.”

“That...was the exact opposite of what I needed to hear.” Izuku almost laughed with how ridiculous what Shouto said was. “Just. Don’t say anything. Next time. Just stay there and listen. That’s all.”

Shouto nodded, his faint, soft smile returning. “Okay. I got it. I’m sorry.”

Izuku wrapped his arms around Shouto carefully. His tears soaked into Shouto’s thick jacket, but he let it happen. “Promise you’re not going to leave me?” Izuku asked, his voice thick still from crying. 

Shouto sighed, and with it came a small laugh. “I won’t leave. That was stupid of me to say.”

\---

Izuku’s eyes still hurt from crying and his nose was raw from rubbing it with tissues. He was up next, and it took all he had to calm his nerves and steady his breathing. 

Shouto stood behind the wall of the rink, handing Izuku another tissue to wipe the remaining moisture from his face. When he was about to hand it back, he thought of a way to get Shouto back for the stupid thing he said. Instead of dropping it into Shouto’s gloved hand, he dropped it a few inches from the wall, where Shouto had to bend down to stop it from falling onto the ice. 

That left his head open, Izuku poked at the part in the middle, where it was split between red and white, and before Shouto could bring his head up, he ran fingers through the red side. It was soft and silky, just as he’d expected. 

Shouto brought his head up and scowled at Izuku. The culprit stuck his tongue out and turned to skate to the center of the rink. 

Izuku took another deep breath. The ice was scraped up from the other skaters before him, but it still glistened beautifully. He focused on the sparkling surface as he got into his starting pose. The music started, quiet and calm at first, slowly picking up speed. Izuku focused on what each shift meant to him, and made his way through the first movements with ease. 

_ Maybe I can change it up a bit. Shouto won’t expect it if I add more jumps _ . 

It was a stupid idea, but Izuku had always been chock full of stupid ideas that made their way to real life before they could stew in his head. He didn’t know which was more dangerous, an idea that sat too long, or one that couldn’t be thought through enough before he pursued it. 

He was impulsive, so it was always the latter. 

He would add Shouto’s signature move to the end of his performance. It was arguably the most difficult jump he’d ever seen, but if he were to ever be able to live up to Shouto’s legacy, he had to try it. Shouto couldn’t be the only one able to surprise the audience. 

The second half came, and Izuku’s heart was beating fast. His palms were sweaty and the stinging of his eyes worsened. He was losing focus, but he had to try still. 

First were the planned jumps. He flubbed one, he totally fell during another. 

Well, shit. 

He made it through the second to last one before he replaced the last with the difficult move. He looked over to where Shouto was standing and watching with his hands pressed against the wall, leaning forward. He looked nervous. 

Izuku smiled at him before he readied himself for the jump, his knees shaking again and his whole body tense with anticipation; both of which were absolutely horrible for what he was about to attempt. 

Once he made it into the air, he closed his eyes and tried to keep his rotations going, but once he landed a foot on the ice again, he lost his balance and almost toppled over. But he hadn’t totally fell. 

The audience erupted in recognition and awe. The announcer went wild with describing what Izuku had just attempted, but he couldn’t pay attention to it all. He grit his teeth and continued through the last pieces of footwork to finish off the routine. He was out of breath, but at least this part was easy. He’d see Shouto’s reaction when he finished, he just had to wait. 

The music finished off with a flourish and he posed, his arm extended toward Shouto, whose eyes were wide and cheeks flushed. Izuku breathed heavily, not able to move for a second, but once he figured out what was going on, and that he could move again, he began skating toward where Shouto was. 

Shouto also started moving, making his way to the entrance and actually  _ stepping on the ice _ before Izuku made it over. 

“I did good right?” Izuku cried out, hoping with every part of his body that Shouto was happy and not upset with him. He really could never tell. 

Shouto didn’t say anything but launched himself forward, toward Izuku, his arms wrapping around Izuku’s back. But it wasn’t a hug, like Izuku had expected. 

Before Izuku was completely knocked back onto the ice, Shouto’s eyes closed and his lips pressed against Izuku’s. 

_ Holy shit.  _

Izuku was too confused and overwhelmed to also close his eyes and return what was apparently a kiss. He stared at Shouto’s gently closed eyelids instead as his back hit the ice. 

Shouto pulled away and raised his body up with his hands. “That was surprising. This was the only thing I could to return the favor.”

Izuku stared at the man hovering over him, his eyes sparkling and his nose red from the cold of the ice and heat of the moment. Izuku stared for a while, his mouth open in awe. He couldn’t quite comprehend what had happened. 

If there was any doubt in his mind that Shouto liked him, it disappeared right then. 

“It worked,” Izuku breathed. 


End file.
